Walton Heath (New Course)

The New Course at Walton Heath occupies the same elevated Surrey heathland as the Old, yet it has a character that is distinctly its own. Where the Old Course carries the weight of major championship history, the New offers a slightly more intimate heathland experience without any diminishment in quality. Herbert Fowler's routing makes full use of the natural undulations of the land, producing a sequence of holes that demand careful course management and precise ball-striking. The heather rough is penalising, the greens are firm and the winds that sweep across the exposed plateau can make club selection a constant puzzle.

The Walton Heath estate sits within the Surrey Hills, a landscape that has produced more great golf courses per square mile than almost anywhere else in England. Playing the New Course in the context of a full day at Walton Heath, ideally preceded or followed by a round on the Old, gives a clear sense of why this estate is held in such high regard. The shared clubhouse provides a comfortable base, and the atmosphere between rounds is one of the genuine pleasures of visiting. Few venues in English golf offer quite this combination of quality, conditioning and setting.

For golfers exploring the Surrey heathland belt, Walton Heath sits at the top of any itinerary. The county's concentration of outstanding courses means that a dedicated heathland trip can take in several world-class venues within a compact area, but the New Course stands as proof that even within an already exceptional club, a second layout can be something worth making a special journey to play.